Envelope-fastening device



March 1, 1927.-

A. OLGAY ENVELOPE FASTENING DEVICE Filed June 27, 1925 mmll PatentedMar. 1, 1927.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT OLGAY, OF GLEN ELLYN, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T GAW OI'IARA. ENVELOPECOMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

ENVELOPE-FASTENING DEVICE.

Application filed June 27, 1925, Serial No. 39,906.

This invention relates to envelope fasteners of the type comprising apair of buttons centrally attached tothe rear side and flap of anenvelope, respectively, and a string attached to one of the buttons andadapted to be wound one or-more times around the I stem or shank of theother or both buttons beneath the latter, the string being frictionallyclamped between the under side of the button or buttons and the surfaceof the envelope or flap.

So far as I am aware these buttons, which are usually made of cardboardor similar flexible material, have always been made round, and usuallyattached to the envelope and flap by central eyelets, which latter causethe buttons to lie fiat throughout substantially their entire areasagainst the surface of the envelope and flap. As a consequence, when theuser starts to wind the fastening cord from the flap button around theenvelope button, or vice versa, the cord does not readily pass betweenthe round periphery of the button and the underlying surface to whichthe button is attached, and not infrequently it is necessary to raisethe edge of the button by inserting the finger nail, or a knife blade orother tool therebeneath before the cord can be entered between thebutton and the surface of the envelope or flap and then drawn tightlyaround the fastening shank or stem.

The purpose of my invention is to provide an improved form of buttonthat will obviate the above-noted fault or defect in en velope fastenerbuttons of this character; and this object is attained by forming on theperiphery of the button a plurality of sharply defined corners orpoints, beneath which the cord will readily pass under a simple windingoperation, without necessitating the upliftin of the point or cornerbefore the thread Wlll slide therebeneath. In the preferred embodimentof the invention herein shown, these corners or points are formed bygiving to the periphery of the button a polygonal form.

My invention, its mode of manipulation, and the advantages inheringtherein will be readily understood and appreciated by persons familiarwith fastening devices of this character from the subjoined description,taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein I haveillustrated practical and preferred embodiments of the principle of theinvention, and in which Fig. 1 1s a plan view of a portion of the rearside and flap of an envelope showing my improved fastener appliedthereto;.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the hex agonal buttonshown in Fig. 1;and

Figs. 3 and 4: are similar enlarged-plan views of square and triangularforms of button which fall within the purview of the invention. 7

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 5 designates the rear wall of a common andwell-known type of second-class mailing envelope, and 6 is the rear flapthereof. 7 designates a button of cardboard or like flexible materialcentrally attached to the outer side of the flap 6 by an ordinary eyelet8; and 9 designates a similar button similarly attached by an eyelet 10to the rear wall 5 of the envelope directly beneath the button 7. 11designates the usual cord that is permanently secured at one end to thebutton 7 by its rivet 8, and

is adapted to be wound one or more times beneath the lower button 9 orback and forth between the buttons 7 and 9, as indicated, to hold theflap 6 in closed position, while permitting postal inspection of thecontents of the envelope by simply unwinding the cord 11 until the twobuttons are disengaged.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, each of the buttons 7 and 9 is formed with apolygonal periphery, the hexagonal form of the latter herein shownproviding six equally spaced angular corner portions or points 12, andflat or straight edges 13 between adjacent corners. As the cord 11 isdrawn into engagement with the periphery of the button,

drawn beneath the first corner encountered thereby, the material of thebutton is sulfi- I ciently raised from the underlying surface to makethe entrance of the cord beneath the succeeding corners very easy undera simple winding of the thread around the button.

Fig. 3 shows a square form of button providing four equally spacedpoints or corners 12 with connecting straight sides 13; and ing tofacilitate the entrance of the fasten- Fig. 4 illustrates a triangularform providing three still narrower and more sharply defined points orcorners 12 with connectingstraight sides 13. Manifestly, the operativeprineipleof the lmttons shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is the same as thatalready described in connection with Figs. 1 .and 2, andstill otherforms of buttons providing peripheral points beneath which the cord willreadily enter may beernployed within the purview and bounds of theinvention.

I claima 1. An envelope fastener, comprising a pair of buttons ztttachedto the outer rear side of theouter side of the flap, respectively, of anenvelope andfonmetlwith a plurality of intersecting sides formingcorners, and a cord adapted to be wound around beneath and connect saidbuttons, said corners serving cords beneath the buttons.

2. An envelope and the like fastener C011]- prising a button attached toone of two relatively separable parts of an envelopeedapted to be joinedibyiia cord, and a cord for conneetion to the other of said separableparts, said button having sides intersecting to form sharp corners forfacilitating the entrance of a fastening cord therebeneath.

3. An envelope and the like fastener comprising pair of buttons attachedto relativelyseparable parts of an envelope and adapted to be joined bya cord, said buttons having sides intersecting to form sharp corners forfacilitating the entranee of a fastening cord therebeneath. v

In WltDQSS of the foregoing I n flix my signature.

ALBERT OLGAFY.

